WEATHER
Pfertly cloudy and continued warm
today, tonight and Saturday, scat
tered thundershowers in west and
central portions Saturday.
, The Hhelhy Baily Him«
CLEVELAND COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1894
TELEPHONES 1100
- State Theatre Today -
“I’ll Remember April”
Starring GLORIA JEAN
VOL. XLIII-89
ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS
SHELBY, N. C.
FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1945
TELEMAT PICTURES
SINGLE COPIES—6c 1
Ninth Army Spearhead
45 Miles From Berlin,
90 From Russian Lines
By James M. Long
PARIS, April 13.—(/P)—The Ninth Army closed within
45 miles of Berlin today in a 60-mile armored advance which
reached the already-crossed Elbe river on a wide front.
Nearly a hundred miles of the Elbe banks were pa
trolled by Ninth Army troops tonight. They stood within
90 miles of Russian siege lines east of the sprawling, ruin
ed capital.
The nearest approach to the
capital was in a bend of the river
Just south of Tangermuende, where
the harried Germans blew the
bridges.
Duisburg, Europe’s greatest in
land port and Germany's 14th city,
fell to the Ninth army in the
shrinking and bypassed Ruhr
pocket. The Third army captur
ed Erfurt, reached the streets of
Jena and were 18 miles from Leip
zig and 34 from Czechoslovakia.
Between these charging forces
of Lts. Gen. William H. Simpson
and George S. Patton, jr.. First
army tanks broke into a 35-mile
run across the "Golden Meadows”
to within 17 miles of Leipzig, larg
est city In Saxony. Lt. Gen. Court
ney H. Hodges' shock troops reach
ed the Welsse river, two miles west
of Zeitz, a town already within
light artillery range of the Third
army.
The Hell on Wheels (Second)
Armored division, which crossed
the Elbe at Magdeburg yesterday,
was meeting stiff opposition on
the eastern bank of that last river
barrier before Berlin. Reinforce
ments and supplies poured across
the Elbe as the tank troops gath
ered strength for the final push
within a dav or so.
TORTS OUTFLANKED
The Ninth army dash to the El
be outflanked all Denmark, and
the German ports of Hamburg and
See NINTH Page 2
Russians Moving
On City Of Bruenn
Bitter House-To-House Fighting Inside Vienna;
Narrow Escape Gap Remains
LONDON, April 13.—(/P)—Marshal Stalin announced to
night the capture of Vienna.
LONDON. April 13.—(/P)—Russian troops were moving
today on the Czechoslovak city of Bruenn (Brno), 68 miles
north of Vienna, after cutting the last lifelines between the
two cities in attacks that doomed the remaining Nazi forces
in the historic Austrian capital.
BRITISH IN
ITALY ADVANCE
ROME, April 13. — (/Ft— Allied
headquarters announced today that
the British Eighth army is driving
forward steadily in the lower Po
valley against "partially disor
ganized resistance alter beating off
numerous heavy counterattacks
r est of its newly won Santerno
river bridgeheads.
At the same time attacking Fifth
army forces on the opposite end
of the front were reported meeting
little opposition.
Near the shores of ^ake Comac
chio at the extreme eastern end
of the offensive area, Eighth army
units drove westward halfway to
Bastia, six miles distant.
The Germans have lost their last
footholds on the east banks of the
Santerno river. The three Allied
bridgeheads across the stream have
been expanded.
See BRITISH Page 2
Moscow said Soviet spearheads |
burst within 33 miles of Bruenn j
in an invasion over the southern
Moravia border.
Inside Vienna, fall of which has
been expected hourly, there was
bitter house-to-house fighting as
Marshal Feodor I. Tolbukhin’s
Third Ukrainian army yesterday
seized 60 blocks of the Jewish
quarter of Leopoldstadt, between
the Danube and the Danube ca
nal.
One thin escape gap now re
mains for the Germans. It is a
long a railroad running northwest
from the city, but Moscow said
early today that this, too, was
under heavy Russian artillery fire.
TERRIFIC LOSSES
The Nazis are suffering terri
fic losses in the Vienna fighting,
with 4,000 officers and men killed
yesterday, the Russians said.
Meanwhile, Berlin reported a
general Nazi withdrawal west of
the beleaguered capital along the
Danube valley in the direction of
Hitler’s Bavarian mountain for
tress at Berchtesgaden.
South of Vienna, Tolbukhin’s
See RUSSIANS Page 2
TOMORROW SET
ASIDE AS DAY
OF MOURNING
Holds War Council With
Top Military Com
manders
TO ATTEND RITES
Bv Jack Bell
WASHINGTON, April 13.
—(/P)—Harry S. Truman seiz
ed immediately on the grim
problems of winning the war
and securing the peace today
as he shouldered the responsi
biftties of the presidency.
Leaving his modest Con
necticut Avenue apartment
early for the White House,
the new president:
1. Held an emergency war
council with his top military com
manders.
2. Reviewed world political
problems in a 20-minute confer
ence with Secretary of State Stet
tinius.
3. Issued a proclamation set
ting aside tomorrow as a National
day of mourning for Franklin D.
Roosevelt.
4. Conferred with a close law
yer friend. Hugh Fulton, who has
been mentioned for a post If. any
cabtneC < ohaa§made.
5. Made an immediate and
probably unprecedented trip to
Capitol Hill where he lunched
with congressional leaders.
6. Announced he will attend
burial services at Hyde Park Sun
day for Mr. Roosevelt, whose body
was enroute to Washington from
Warm Springs.
Heartened by a formal pledge
of support from the senate Re
publican delegation, Mr. Truman
began the day by declaring "my
See TOMORROW Page 2
‘Bundle Day’
For Collection
Of Old Clothes
Sunday will be ,,Bundle?Day” In
the United National Clothing col
lection Mrs. R. H. Rogers, com
mittee chairman, announced to
day. All those who have usable
clothing to contribute to4he drive
but have not yet tuntfed it in
at the clothing depots are asked
to tie these garments in bundles
and place them on the curbs in
front of their homes by 1:30 o’
clock Sunday. These bundles will
be collected and taken to the cen
tral clothing depot in the Rogers
building for shipment.
Doris Bolt is serving as chair
man of the collecting cbmmittee
and Worth Morris is co-chairman.
On the truck committee are R. K.
Wilson, chairman, Paul Kennedy,
and H. H. Weaver. Others who
will assist in this Sunday collec
tion are Shem K. Blackley, Ma
son Carroll, Lex Williams, Dale
Stentb, Wilbur Wilson, Lloyd Lutz,
See ‘BUNDLE DAY.’ Page Z
:
•LiTTLE WHITE HOUSE’ WHERE PRESIDENT DIED—This is the cottage at Warm Springs, Ga., known as
“Little White House", where President Roosevelt died unexpectedly of a cerebral hemorrhage April 12. The
President built the cottage many years ago and went there periodically for rest. It is close to the Warm
Springs Foundation which he helped to establish for treatment of patients suffering the after-effects of
tofantUe paralysis.—(P Wirephoto). _ , , „ . ■ ;. , r * , , r
| TRUMAN TAKES THE OATH AS PRESIDENT—Harry S. Truman (left) is sworn in by Chief Justice
i Harlan Stone as President of the United States in the cabinet room of the executive offices of the White
House in Washington a few hours after the death of President Roosevelt at Warm Springs, Ga. Mrs. Tru
man is in the center. Attorney General Francis Biddle is just behind Truman and between the new Pres
ident and Mrs. Truman is Secretary of State Edward R. Stettinius, Jr.—(AP Wirephotoi
PROMOTED—Lt. Col. George V.
Hanna, Jr., USMC, husband of the
former Miss Mildred McSwain of
515 S. Morgan street, was pro
moted from Major to his present
rank on March 10, while serving
with the Third Marine Amphib
ious corps somewhere in the South
Pacific. Lt. Col, Hanna is a grad
uate of North Carolina State col
lege and entered the service in
June, 1939. He has been serving
overseas for over 28 months and
recently participated in the in
vasion of Peleliu. His wife and
25 months old son, George V. Han
na, jr., whom he has never seen,
are making their home in Shelby
while he is in service. Lt. Col.
Hanna is a son of Mr. and Mrs.
George V. Hanna, sr., of Green
ville, S. C., formerly of Shelby.
CAP VISITORS
HERE SATURDAY
A full week-end Is planned for
members of the North Carolina
Civil Air Patrol in Shelby begin
ning tomorrow afternoon when
members of this organization will
begin to arrive by plane at the Byers
airport. Some will come by auto
mobile, however, more than 20
visiting planes are expected if the
weather is fair.
Mayor Harry Woodson will head
a committee from the local wing
of the Civil Air Patrol who will be
at the Byers airport Saturday aft
ernoon to welcome the visitors to
Shfelby. Included in this group will
be Lt. George D. Washburn, com
mande. oi the local wing. The visit
ing delegates will be chauffered to
the Charles hotel by cadets from the
local wing. At the hotel another
greeting committee led by Lt. John
Anthony and Lt. Norman Lee will
t-ke over and welcome the guests
again.
The cadets will post a guard at
the airport for the protection of
the visiting ships. Lt. Oeorge Wash
burn and Mrs. Washburn will hold
See CAP Page 2
Grieving WorlcHPays
Tribute To Roosevelt
Most Nations Fly Flags At Half Mast, Some Decree
Periods Of Mourning
By The Associated Press
Around the world, the humble and the great paid mourn
ful tribute today to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in words of
praise and sorrow.
The flags of virtually all nations flew at half mast.
Many governments decreed a period of mourning. Expres
sions of sympathy streamed into the White House from
71 DEAD IN
OKLA. STORM
Destruction Left In Dozen
Cities, Edge Of
Arkansas Hit
OKLAHOMA CITY, April 13.—(/P)
—Oklahoma counted its tornado
dead at 71 and the homeless in
hundreds today after twisters
bounced crazily over the state to
spread destruction in a dozen cities
and rural communities.
The storms swept on into Arkan
sas, killing three, and two persons
were reported missing hi a storm
at Morrisville, Mo.
Most seriously hit in Oklahoma
by yesterday afternoon’s storms
were Antlers with 47 dead, Musko
gee with 14 and Huloera and Ok
lahoma City with three each. Bog
gy had one fatality, as did Red
Oak, Greenwood Junction and
Rowland. In Arkansas, two were
killed at Dora atfd one near Fay
etteville.
See 71 DEAD Page 2
U. S. Subs Sink 15
More Enemy Ships
WASHINGTON, April 13—
(^—United States submarines
have sunk 15 more enemy
ships, including two combat
ant vessels, In far eastern
waters.
A navy communique named
the combatant craft as an es
cort vessel and a converted
’’gunboat.
Non-combatant vessels claim
ed Included two destroyer
transports, a large tanker, a
naval auxiliary, six medium
cargo vessels, a medium tank
er, and two small cargo ves
sels.
The announcement raised
to 1,098 the total Japanese
losses inflicted by United
States submarines to date. The
total includes 124 combatant
ships and 974 non-combatant.
worm capitals.
Prime Minister Churchill, Pre
mier Stalin and Generalissimo Chi
ang Kai-shek addressed messages
of condolence to Mrs. Roosevelt.
Churchill, declaring he jier
sonally had lost a “cherished
friendship,” said the president's
death was “the less of the Bri
tish nation and of the cause of
freedom in every lalld.” Stalin
said the Russians “highly valu
ed President Roosevelt as a
great organizer of the strug
gles of freedom-loving nations
i against the common, enemy and
as the leader in the cause of
ensuring the security of the"
whole world.” Chispig said the
president's name would be a
“beacon light to humanity for
centuries to come” and declar
ed China’s sorrow was intensi
fied by the gratitude she owed
him.
The news that the president had
See GRIEVING Page 2
what’s Wing
TODAY
7:30 p.m—Lions club ladies'
night at Hotel Charles.
8:00 p.m.—Revival service at
Central Methodist church.
SATURDAY
10:00 a.m.—Revival service
at’ Central Methodist church.
Truman Takes Over Banners Of
War And Peace From Roosevelt
By JACK BELL
Associated Press.Political News
Edmr
WASHINGTON, April 13.—0*P)—
A dazed and questioning world to
day watched Harry S. Truman pick
up the baners of* war and peace
that slipped yesterday from the
lifeless fingers of Franklin Delano
Roosevelt.
Stunned by the shock of its
leader’s passing, a mourning na
tion gave solid backing to the gray
haired man in the gray business
siit who became president of the
United States at 7:09 p.tri. last
night,
Mr. Roosevelt died at Warm
Springs, Ga., just two hours and
i 34 minutes earlier.
Mr. Truman, who didn’t even
want to run for vice president,
went to work in the White House
today—a question mark for all hu
manity. '
The new president himself an
nounced simply that he would try
to carry on as he believes Presi
dent Roosevelt would have done.
Then, swiftly, he asked the
Roosevelt cabinet to stay on. He
gave assurance that the United
Nations Conference would open in
San Francisco April 25. on sched
ule. He Issued a statement that
the war would be prosecuted to
See TRUMAN Page 2
i
Death Ends Long,
Useful Career Of
Nation’s Chief
Bv D. HAROLD OLIVER
ABOARD ROOSEVELT FUNERAL TRAIN, April
13.— (AP)—The body of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt was enroute on a 24-hour run to Washing
ton today for funeral service in Washington and bur
ial Sunday at Hyde Park, N. Y.
The ten car special train, full of friends and as
sociates, who hurried here when news of his death
spread, got under way at 10:15 A. M., Central War
Time.
The body was taken to the train on a motor hearse army
caisson through a lane of soldiers from Ft. Benning, Ga.
Two thousand soldiers from the Fort Benning infantry
j school and parachute school under the general command of
j Major General Fred L. Walker arrived in the early morn
! ing hours to provide an honor guard.
Also on hand at the depot was the 99th army ground
forces band from Fort Benning, led by Chief Warrant Of
ficer Loy A. Ebersole.
Pallbearers were picked from the army, navy and ma
rines.
Fifty picked MP’s from JT. Benning provided a lane at
the little village station through which the funeral cortege
! passed. The procession also passed the Warm Spring Foun
dation administration building where polio patients sat and
stood to watch their benefactor pass for the last time.
The winding red dirt road from the Roosevelt Pir>"
! Mountain cottage to the Foundation gate was filled with
I troops who led the slow march to the train which began at
! 9:25 A. M. (CWT).
The eight body bearers included four army men from
j Ft. Benning, two marines from the President’s guard encamp
! ment at Warm Springs, and two navy enlisted men from
’ Atlanta.
Mrs. Roosevelt, who flew from Washington last night,
; rode in the procession. Others included Vice-Admiral Ross
j T. Mclntire, the late President’s physician; Commander How
1 ard Bruenn, the young navy doctor who was at the bed side
| when the President died; Secretaries Stephen T. Early and
William D. Hassett, and Rear-Admiral Jules James, com
| mandant of the 6th naval district at Charleston, S. C.
Mrs. Roosevelt rode with Miss
Laura Delano and Miss Margaret
Suckley, presidential cousin from
Hyde Park, and thj body bearers
walked behind the hearse.
Behind them also on foot for the
nearly 3 miles to the train were
high ranking army and navy of
ficers in this area.
The procession made only about
three miles an hour.
The cortege slowed almost to a
standstill at the Foundation ad
ministration building as if to give
the late president an opportunity
to say a final farewell to the crip
pled children. Chief Petty Officer
Graham Jackson, Atlanta negro
musician now in the coast guard,
stood in the center of the patient
spectators and played “Going
Home” softly on a piano accord
ian. Jackson had entertained Mr.
Roosevelt many times during his
visit to Warm Springs.
Leaving the Foundation grounds,
the cortege passed through two
battalions of Airbone Infantry and
Paratroopers spaced ten feet apart
and standing at attention. One
trooper dropped in his tracks from
the blistering sun as a press car
passed. The head of the procession
reached the depot, crowded with
See DEATH Page 2
Train Carrying
Body To Pass
Through County
A special train over the South
ern's mainline from Atlanta to
Washington will pass through Gro
ver and Kings Mountain tonight
about 9:15, it was learned this
morning from the Division Pas
senger Agent’s office in Charlotte.
The train was late this morn
ing in leaving Warm Springs, Ga.
with the body of the beloved
president but it is now on its way
northward to Washington where
the funeral will be held Saturday
and interment will follow Sunday
afternoon at his Hyde Park, New
York home.
The body travels in the presi
dent's special car and is pulled
by a special engine. Several other
cars carry the members of his im
mediate family and staff and an
other car the newspaper men and
high officials who accompany the
remains to the capital.
NO STOPS
Ten o’clock is the time the spe
cial train is due to reach Char
lotte. There will be no stops, how
ever, except to refuel the engine
and change crews.
All entertainment programs on
the radios were cancelled last night
and tributes were paid the nation's
chief by members of the foreign
diplomatic offices located in Wash
ington, members of the Congress,
including Sen. Clyde R. Hoey of
North Carolina. Mr. Hoey paid tri
bute to the president's humane ef
forts, his devotion to Democracy
and freedom and declared that the
Vice President Harry Truman is
thoroughly trained and competent
to carry on the principles so firm
ly established by Mr. Roosevelt.
The only other programs on the
radio were war news, details of
die death of the president and in
See TRAIN Page S